Joining the club
A new focus on wellness will give even more reasons to visit Marbella Club, the original luxury hotel in this coastal playground. But be prepared to make some sacrifices and break a sweat as these programmes are no picnic
houses, eventually created the hotel – celebrities flocked to the sunny haven and the rest is history. While it may once have been one
author: April Hutchinson
Ever imagined what it would be like if a Jacuzzi went rogue and started beating you up? Probably not – and nor had I. But I now know what this
sensation would feel like – lots of little needles scuttling across your skin under water. Lying in a large bath full of mineral-rich seawater I was anticipating what was innocently listed as an “underwater massage” on my wellness itinerary. Thalassotherapy is an ancient practice, using the sea’s natural qualities to help detox and relieve tired muscles and, in essence, the therapist was to use a hose underwater to administer the restorative power of this mineral- rich water, jetting it onto my body in repetitive circular motions. But in fact, my treatment was
not something to be enjoyed, more endured for the good of my lymphatic health – which is poor, I was told. I was also told the massage wasn’t supposed to be quite so painful and that it most probably hurt me more because I was suffering such poor circulation and was therefore more sensitive. I’m sure this water-borne
discomfort wasn’t quite what Prince Alfonso von Hohenlohe had in mind when he opened the Marbella Club in 1954 as the Costa del Sol’s first luxury hotel. The prince and his uncle were said to have been travelling from Gibraltar to Malaga in a charcoal-powered Rolls-Royce when they stopped by the old fishing village of Marbella and imagined the potential of the place, sheltered by the Sierra Blanca and fringed by the Med. They bought some land and
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TTGLUXURY.COM SUMMER 2016 TRIED & TESTED
of the world’s most desirable destinations, Marbella’s reputation today is no longer quite as chi-chi – but the Marbella Club hotel is as sophisticated and legendary as it ever was. That’s no doubt thanks to its
rambling and beautiful grounds that are home to a collection of 15 villas, 37 rooms and 79 suites. In addition, a plethora of pools (three – one among the gardens, one by the sea and one in the spa), restaurants (The Grill, the seafront and MC Cafe), art galleries and shops (think Escada and Frette, as well as a seaside boutique full of covetable beachwear) meander their way down from the main-road entrance to the seafront. And once you’re there, a pier beckons you to stride its short length and look back to catch the view of the hotel and its discreet position on the Golden Mile, among tall palms and ancient trees. The beach is public,
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